I am the new face of obesity
The results are in:
6'2"
204 lbs
My waist is 33 (up from 32 in high school).
My body fat % hovers between 12-13%.
I can still run a five minute mile (if only when I'm being chased).
I am overweight.
The wife and I are buying life insurance so we signed up for some minute clinic physicals. My Doctor was a nice. Polite to a fault. She measured me, took some blood; then sat me down and politely explained I am still 6'2", my blood markers were looking solid...
And according to her BMI (Body mass index) charts I am overweight.
I'm pretty sure I remember her saying I was obese. Or close to it.
Come again?
What is BMI?
A BMI of 25.0 or more is overweight, while the healthy range is 18.5 to 24.9. BMI applies to most adults 18-65 years. It is a standard measure of health in adults (used by insurance companies apparently).
My BMI is 26.2. I am in the overweight category. This measure is complete BS.
BMI was developed in 1832 (yes, almost 200 years ago!) by Belgian statistician Lambert Adolphe Quetelet, who was called on to create a description of the “average man” to help the government estimate obesity numbers among the general population.
The problem with BMI: Anyone with muscle (which is denser than fat; throwing off the equation) will be unfairly categorized.
Tom Brady: Overweight.
Usain Bolt: Overweight.
Me: Overweight.
You're thinking one of those names above doesn't belong with the two. Fine. Brady never ran track. He's out.
So obviously I'm a little worked up over a useless standard of health/beauty with no scientific or emotional value.
Sound like anyone you know?
Questions around bodyweight and obesity are emotionally loaded. I don't care who you are you'll be told you're overweight, or unhealthy, or you could lose that last 5 lbs; even when you become your peak healthy, fit, beautiful self.
You're told this so someone can sell you their weight loss program, their diet plan, or their workout. Advertising digs for pain/insecurity. If they told you you're healthy why would you buy their program, plan or workout?
Train is a fitness business, and business needs customers. How can we sell what we do without contributing to this negative and misleading copy?
Seriously. I'm asking.
I feel shady if I push the you're overweight and need to lose 5 lbs angle; disingenuous if I push the whole 'you're perfect the way you are' angle.
How 'bout this: Getting fit has been the most powerful experience (aside from my son's birth) of my life. As Bill Bowerman (played by Donald Sutherland) says in the film Without Limits:
'Running, one might say, is basically an absurd past time upon which to be exhausting ourselves; but if you can find meaning in the kind of running it takes to be on this team chances are you'll find meaning in another absurd pastime: Life.'
Sub in Fitness/training/yoga for running: they're all "absurd past times".
Set a goal. Lift, run, stretch, breathe. You might find something out about yourself. It might add meaning.
Whatever the goal is one of our trainers has done it. We're here when you need us.
That's #facts coming from an obese trainer.
